The More Things Change
by Sureleia
Summary: A series of interactions in Bree and Rex's past before the series started and present season 1 and 2 show connections to each other and how things have changed between the couple as the years have passed.


Note: The scenes in the "present" may be taking place anytime during season 1 or 2, so just be prepared that things are out of order and you know roughly when it's taking place.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, and some of these stories. They were created by the wonderful cast and crew of Desperate Housewives.

Present

Bree and Rex walked along the concrete, heading towards their car parked at the other side of the crowded mall parking lot, the hot sun beating down on them from above and below with the hot concrete.

"I want to get started on the hydrangeas around the tree this weekend, maybe change the arrangement this year around the walkway. What do you think?"

As they walked along, Bree still lost in talking about the garden, she missed the dip in the pavement and she tripped forward. Rex caught her before she hit the ground.

"Oh," Bree said, her breath caught in her throat from the fall.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks, I just...ow," she said as she tried to get back on her foot and take a step forward.

"What?" Rex said with a confused concern.

"I think I hurt my ankle," she said as she leaned her weight onto Rex.

He bent down slowly so that she could still keep her balance on him as he checked her ankle.

"It doesn't look too bad, probably just temporary. Isn't this the ankle that you've injured before?"

"Yeah, whenever I trip over it, it tends to start hurting again."

"You've really got to stop wearing heels. They're not the best for keeping your balance," he said as moved himself back up.

"Can we not start about what I wear? How am I going to get to the car?" she asked, looking hopefully at him.

"Don't look at me." He said, sensing what she wanted.

"Why not? You used to pick me up and carry me all of the time, once."

"Yeah, when I lifted weights and didn't have a heart condition," he responded. "You don't want to just try to lean on one leg?"

She looked at him, a look that said she was not up for doing such a thing.

"Okay, how about you stay here, and I go bring the car around to pick you up?"

"Yeah, that will work," she whispered slowly as he walked off towards their car and she thought of how things had changed.

Flashback

Bree and Rex were walking down the sidewalk, watching the other churchgoers pass them by after the service.

"Rex, do you think that we could just take the longer way to the car, and go through the park?" Bree asked hopefully.

"Sure," he said, realizing there wasn't really anything to do at home anyway.

They walked along the sidewalk that wound through the park, passing by the trees and fountain. Bree's eyes were so caught up in how lovely the fountain looked that she didn't notice the crack in the sidewalk, and she tripped forward, Rex catching her before she hit the ground.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, it just startled me." She said as she moved back up to a standing position, "Thanks."

"Hey, I'll let you fall for me anytime."

"You are so corny."

"Yes, and you love that," he smiled at her.

As they started walking again, a slight grimace came across Bree's face.

"What?"

"It's just," she said as she sat down on the park bench, "I feel that there's something in my shoe," and took off her heel. She looked into it and felt inside but couldn't find anything. "I guess it must have come out," she said and got up to walk again.

But the grimace came back. "Still there?" Rex questioned.

"I guess so, I couldn't find anything."

Bree started to move towards the next bench but Rex stopped her.

"What?" she asked before he bent his body down to put his arm beneath her legs and swooped her up in his arms.

"Rex, what are you doing?" Bree said even as she giggled.

"Well, I can't have you tortured by invisible rocks." He said smiling at her and beginning to walk.

"What are you going to do, carry me all the way to the car?" she said, still smiling at his act of needless chivalry.

"If I have to," he said looking at how beautifully she glowed smiling in the sun with the light bouncing off of her red hair. He wanted to return faster than he had previously thought. He had just realized something he wanted to do when he got home...

Flashback

"Ahh, Rex!" Bree cried as Rex had snuck up behind her and lifted her into his arms.

"Well, I saw that you were out here all alone, and I couldn't resist." Rex smiled.

They were at Rex's parents' house for a Fourth of July party, and Bree had been outside trying to help put out some of the food before the guests arrived.

"Put me down." She half-heartedly said, not really wanting to stop his playful antics.

"Okay, maybe I'll put you down here," he said as he walked closer to the pull and pretend as if he were going to drop her into the water.

"Rex, don't you dare, my sunscreen hasn't even set in yet, and you'll get me all wet."

"Isn't that the point of a pool in the middle of summer?" he asked, smiling at her before he kissed, lightly on the lips.

She looked into his eyes as his lips moved away, and she gently put her hand on his cheek, holding it in place as she moved her lips back towards his into a longer kiss.

"Rex!" came a shout from close by the house, and Rex spun around at the sound of his mother's voice, losing his balance and falling back into the pool with Bree still in his arms.

They hit the water hard, and, when Rex came back up, he saw the look of surprise that was still on Bree's face,

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, still trying to catch her breath. She swam towards the steps and walked out of the pool. She didn't look at Rex's mother as she passed her by, suspecting the woman was glad at the accidental fall into the pool.

Phyllis, though, was looking at Rex, realizing she had more problems, because her son was staring at the wet form of the girl she did not like as she walked into the house.

Present

Rex followed Bree's wet form as she walked into the Solis house, looking for the linen closet.

"I'm sorry, it was an accident. How was I supposed to know that George would grab onto you when he felt into the pool?"

"How was I supposed to expect that you could act mature in front of a party of people?" she shot back.

"Am I not supposed to become upset when another man is interested in my wife?"

"He's not interested in me as anything more than a friend! I told you, we share interests, interests that you don't seem to care about until another man walks in on your territory."

There was a silence before she spoke again, "Rex, can you just trust me?" she said.

And he knew that there were numerous instances that she could have dragged up about his untrustworthiness, so he relented. "Yes, I can trust you."

And she walked off into the closet for a towel, "I just don't trust him…" he whispered for only himself to hear.

Present

Bree couldn't believe what she had just heard. George had been the cause of Rex's death. And yet, it all made sense. Rex's doctor telling him that his body wasn't reacting to the medication properly. George's fervid interest before and after Rex's death. His attack against Dr. Goldfine.

How could she have not seen this sooner?

She looked at her reflection in the elevator's door, everything flooding back to her.

How could she have let everything happen?

Arguing with Rex about George's platonic level of interest in her. Spending time with George behind Rex's back. George telling her that the doctors were discussing their sex life. The fight she and Rex had had the last time he would ever be at his house. Rex's suspicions against her. Her rings, thrown into Rex's new grave, so upset that he could accuse her of poisoning him. Her son at juvenile camp for trying to defend his father's honor against such a man that would poison him, even if Andrew hadn't known. Her engagement and sexual relationship with him.

She pounded her hand at the door. Wanting to throw up and cry all at once.

She let her body drop against the side of the elevator, pushing the stop button, her body feeling too numb to do anything.

Everything played through her mind over and over again, wishing she could have pressed a stop button on her thoughts.

Please, Rex she thought please forgive me...because I can't forgive myself.

Flashback

"I can't go with you. I can't transfer schools. Besides, I'm not moving in with you unless we get married."

"Why not, you said you loved me?"

"Yes, and, as much as it hurts to not be near you all of the time, I can still love you if you're away. Maybe this is a test for us."

"And maybe we're about to fail it."

"So, what are you saying?"

Rex just looked at her silently, and Bree understood what it meant. She stormed out of the apartment. Bree heard him calling out for her to at least let him drive her home, she ignored his words just as she tried to ignore the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

She walked about a block before she heard a car pull up close to the sidewalk and slowly follow her.

"Bree? Hey, what are you doing?"

Bree looked at the car, visually confirming it to be the person she had known it was simply by the voice.

"I'm heading for the sorority house."

"But, that's another six blocks, at least."

"I like the walk," Bree smiled, though the tears in her voice were evident. "And it's a lovely day outside." She didn't pull off this false act well at all.

"Come on, let me give you a ride," he said, stopping the car for her to get in.

She got into the passenger seat and quietly said, "Thanks, Ty."

Present

Bree got out of the car, not even waiting for Rex to attempt to be a gentleman and open her door. She walked past him and into the house, going up the stairs.

By the time Rex had reached the bedroom, he saw that Bree had gone into the bathroom, and he could hear the faucet running inside.

Damn it, she was crying. She only held her composure for the outside world.

He had really messed up big, and he hadn't done anything in a while. It was his past mistakes coming back to haunt him. He wondered how many of Maisy's clients were experiencing situations like this or worse right now.

He wanted to try to wait this out. He wasn't very good with an upset Bree, whether angry or crying, and this was both. However, he worried if, between the only recent renewal of their marital relationship and with her new unwilling concession to his sexual preferences, this would tip her over the edge the other way, and she might want to renew the divorce proceedings.

He searched on top of the door, and found the latch that opened the lock door. He walked in, and he saw her sitting on the edge of the tub. He hair had been pulled down, and she had taken off her dress. She sat there in her sapphire undergarments, which had matched her dress, holding her hands over her mouth to help muffle the crying that her smeared make-up didn't hide.

She looked over at him as she saw the door opening, and tried to compose herself.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I wanted to see if you were okay."

"Well, this is a convenient time to care," she said trying to brush past his kindness, wanting to give into the anger that could cover up her pain and tears. "You didn't seem to care when you were paying Maisy Gibbons."

"I'm sorry for that. I can't take it back what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to care. I want you to try to do half as much for me in this as I've tried to do for you."

"And what should I have done? Gone to prison to visit Maisy and ask her to please not release my name along with her other clients?"

"That's what I did!"

"What?"

"I went to visit Maisy. I tried to use our friendship, money, anything to get her to stop the release of your name."

"You actually went to the prison? Why didn't you tell me?"

"So, I could tell you that I had failed? That it was inevitable that the entire town was going to find out that my husband not only had an affair, but actually paid someone to have sex with him instead of me, something that I only found out about when the rest of the town found out Maisy Gibbon's little secret!"

"Bree," Rex tried to say something, anything, but was interrupted.

"No! You listen to me! I stood there, in front of you, in our kitchen a few months ago, and begged you to tell me what you wanted. I told you that I would do anything that you wanted. And how did you respond? You told me that I sounded like a whore, and ran off, to your own whore. How do you think that makes me feel? And, now, I play along in your little games, but the entire town knows that my husband didn't think I was good enough."

"Bree, I," but he was cut off again.

"I can't," but this time she was cut off as he grabbed her arms.

"Would you listen to me? I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I had an affair. I'm sorry that I called you a whore. That I asked you to participate in my preference. That, even though I'm not trying to, I keep ending up hurting you." He was looking straight into her eyes. "I can't take them back. I cheated, and I have a fetish. You have an obsessive compulsive need to clean and I can't seem to get anything but a fake smile out of you most of the time when it comes to emotion. But I love you, and that's the best I can do. So, if you love me too, then we'll just have to get through this. Otherwise," and he hated having to say these words, for fear of the answer that she might bring "let's end this now. What do you say, Bree?" He let her arms go, and moved away, waiting for her response.

"I want to stay with you," Bree whispered, a sharp contrast to her previous shouting. "But, I…I can't look at you right now," she said, the tears beginning to glisten in her eyes again.

"I understand. I'll go sleep on the couch, tonight," he said before grabbing his clothes and walking out of the room.

Bree pulled on her nightgown and laid back on the bed, covering her mouth as the tears started to flow again.

Flashback

Bree was laying down on the bed, staring up, nervously, at the ceiling, her fingers starting to tap against the cover. Rex, laying a few inches away on the bed, noticed his wife's fingers and moved his hands around her hand to gently stop the nervous fidgeting. Bree looked over at him and gave a wary smile.

They were both waiting for a phone call from Bree's doctor to confirm a pregnancy test. Bree had suspected she might be pregnant and had her instincts had been further comfirmed by a take-home test, but her doctor would make it official as soon as he called.

Rex was nervous and confused. He knew that he wanted to have children with Bree, but he wasn't sure if this was the right time. They hadn't been married for two years, yet, and he still wondered if he was ready. He didn't voice these worries to Bree, though, she had enough nervous energy in her.

The phone rang, and they stared at each other for a second before Bree reached over and answered it.

"Hello…yes, this is she." Bree's face remained the same as she listened to the doctor's voice over the phone. "Well, thank you, doctor. I appreciate your call."

Bree slowly hung up the phone, and turned her face to Rex. As much as she was trying to keep herself steady, Rex could see her face crumbling.

"Negative." Bree whispered, the tears starting to show in her eyes.

"Oh, honey, it's okay." Rex tried to respond, not really sure about how to respond. He had given family members bad news as a doctor, many times, but this was different. This was his wife who was starting to cry, and he still wasn't sure if he should feel guilty over his confused feelings.

"I know," she whispered, but her resolve slowly crumbled, and tears became more prevalent as she tried to cover her face in a futile effort, as if that would stop her cries of disappoint from showing to the man in front of her.

Rex didn't know what to do for his wife.

So he just held her.

And then he started kissing her.

And then he started undressing her.

And that was the night that Andrew was conceived.

Present

"You've been awfully quiet." Rex said, looking at his wife in the car seat.

"I had just been thinking about the kids. They sure grew up quickly, didn't they?"

"They sure did," he said with a slight smile.

"I remember telling them when they were babies that they weren't allowed to get any bigger because they were so adorable. And we were so happy."

"Yeah, well..."he tried to brush it off, he didn't want to go through another talk about why things weren't 'happy' anymore. It never ended well.

"They sure didn't turn out like we expected them to."

"No, they didn't."

"We could have been better parents."

"We weren't that bad." He knew she always had such a feeling of guilt for everything.

"We still have so much to teach them. For starters, we need to get across to Andrew the enormity of what he's done."

"I know. I suppose we could punish him."

"All right, then what's the appropriate punishment for a child who drives over a woman?" he was confused…as if he should know the answer to such a thing.

"I...I don't know."

"You know, no matter how the kids turn out, I still love them."

"Of course, you do." He knew she was right.

"But I'll never forgive them for growing up so quickly."

Flashback

Bree watched the last of the red water go down the drain as the glow of the streetlights came more prominent in the darkening sky. It was cold in the December night, but Bree refused to turn of the hose until she had seen the last of the blood cleaned up. When she was finished, she wrapped the hose back the way it had been before, and quietly snuck back into the house, hoping that her Aunt Fern hadn't woken up.

Her Aunt Fern had woken up and had seen Bree through the window, cleaning up the blood. Poor Bree, it hadn't looked good for her mother as the ambulance had left. Fern had volunteered to stay with Bree as the rest of the family followed the ambulance to the hospital.

Fern quickly snuck back to her position on the couch, pretending to be asleep as she had when Bree had crept out of the house to clean the street.

Bree came into her room, glad to see that her aunt was, supposedly, still asleep and sat next to the sofa, staring at the glistening Christmas lights.

Her aunt waited a few minutes before pretending to wake up.

"Hey, sweetie, you still up?"

"Yeah," she said, "Aunt Fern, do you think that Mama is going to be all right?" She asked.

"Well, she's got a good team of doctors working on her," Fern said as she slowly sat up at put her hand onto Bree's shoulder. "You need to get some sleep, sweetie, don't think about all of that. Just look at how lovely your mother made this house for the holidays." They both looked at the Christmas tree and the lights that glowed from outside. "Nothing can be wrong when everything looks so perfect."

Flashback

"Oh, my darling little Bree, I'm so happy for you," Bree's Aunt Fern said as she came up to hug her niece among the wedding guests.

"Thank you, Aunt Fern." Bree smiled back.

"You looked so lovely. I wish your mother could have been here to see this."

"Me, too," Bree said, feeling a catch in her throat as she thought about her mother, still after all of these years.

"And Rex looked so handsome, you really do make a lovely couple."

Bree smiled and couldn't help but let out a little giggle, "I'm so happy, today. I can't believe we're finally married. It's just been such a wonderful day."

"Oh, and it'll get even better than you can imagine, now, dear. Just remember, that even during bad times to always remember that the best is yet to come."

Present

"Then you'll finish off with our wedding silver."

"How did you know that?" Bree smiled, surprised that he had paid such attention to her.

"All those years, you didn't think I was paying attention, but I was."

"And do you know why I save it for last?" still slightly elated at the thought that he still paid attention to such things about her.

"No."

"Because it makes me think of my Aunt Fern and, the day we got married, I told her how happy I was, and she told me that even during bad times to always remember that the best was yet to come. And so as I polish it, I think about you and the kids and our life and how right she was."

There was a slight silence, and Rex took the opportunity to build up his courage for what he wanted to say. "They're gonna operate on me."

"I know," she said, trying to hide her own worries for him.

"I wanna say some stuff, just in case..."

"Rex, you don't have to say anything." She couldn't bear the thought that he was thinking about this being their last moments.

"I'm sorry for everything I did. The moving out, the infidelity, the sex stuff..."

"It doesn't matter. From here on in, can we just say that we're even?"

Rex reached her and she clasped his hand.

"Okay." Glad that things were understood between them.

"Thanks."

Bree moved to sit on the bed next to Rex and moved her fingers to gently strokes his hair and face. "And for the record, you are gonna come through this operation just fine."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I told you, the best is yet to come."

She kissed before laying her head down on his chest, and he stroked her hair. This moment felt wonderful…perfect. And nothing could go wrong when everything felt so perfect.

Present

Bree pulled up the sheets, getting comfortable and warm as she sunk her head down onto the pillow. She looked over to Rex's side of the bed, still made up as perfectly as it was when she had left the room so many months ago to take him to the hospital.

She turned opposite Rex's side and lifted her arm to turn off the light before closing her eyes for sleep.

Mary Alice Voice Over

Inevitably, everything changes, and some of our journeys must come to an end.

The images flash through our heads, the final one can often too hard to comprehend.

But, often, our comfort and curse may be that there are some things that will always be the same.

Flashback

Bree vaguely felt the dip in the bed as Rex slipped under the covers, having returned from a late shift at the hospital. He slid up behind her, moving his arms to hold her.

"Hey," he whispered before kissing her neck.

"Hey," she whispered back, still half asleep. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," he said before spooning her closer.

"I love you," she said barely audible before she feel back to sleep.

"Love you, too," he said before also falling asleep.


End file.
